The invention relates to washer and/or dryer door, having a frame by way of which said door can be hinged to a machine housing of the washer and/or dryer, and having an inspection glass and a cover for the inspection glass, whereby smooth surfaces of the cover and of the frame are in contact with one another in order to hold the cover in the frame, and whereby the cover has two main sides and an outer circumferential zone, whereby the main sides are essentially situated opposite one another, and a washer and/or dryer door having a machine housing and such door.
Such a door and such a washer and/or dryer are disclosed in DE 195 15 040 A1.
Washers and/or dryers have a door having a porthole or inspection glass. The door is normally hinged to the machine housing by way of a frame, whereby the frame has the inspection glass. The inspection glass is provided with a cover preventing access because the inspection glass can heat up during operation to temperatures in excess of 60° Celsius. The cover is normally arranged between the components of the frame and is screwed, riveted, stuck or the like to the frame. By this means, the cover is held securely in the frame or clamped between the components thereof. A disadvantage in this situation is the fact that an exchange or replacement of the cover is made difficult or impossible.
DE 195 15 040 C2 discloses a porthole door for a front loading drum washing machine having an inspection glass. The inspection glass is inserted in a frame, which is hinged on the housing, from the inside of the drum and drawn in a pot-shaped fashion in the direction of the drum interior. The inspection glass is provided with a cover preventing access to the inspection glass approximately in the plane of an outer diaphragm ring of the frame. The frame encompasses the edge of the cover at the side and on the front outside. The edge of the cover is secured between the diaphragm ring and the inspection glass in the frame. The frame has a holding ring which surrounds the edge of the cover with a small degree of clearance.
EP 1 334 228 B1 discloses a porthole door for a front loading drum washing machine. A frame comprising a support ring and holding ring is hinged on the washing machine housing. The door furthermore has an inspection glass which is drawn in pot-shaped fashion in the direction of the drum interior and is protected by a cover preventing access approximately in the plane of outer holding ring of the frame. The edge of the cover is secured on the frame. The cover is enclosed on its narrow shell side by the holding ring. The cover consists of a piece of flat glass cooled over a molding die.
EP 1 762 650 A2 discloses a porthole door for a front loading laundry treatment machine, which door comprises an inspection glass having a frame and an essentially transparent viewing glass. The frame which carries the inspection glass contains a diaphragm ring and an inner ring. The viewing glass is connected to the diaphragm ring, by which means a one-piece part is provided, whereby the viewing glass covers the diaphragm ring on the front side.
A washing machine door having a conventional mounting structure for a cover is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.
FIG. 3 shows a part of a sectional representation of a door 10 of a washer and/or dryer according to the prior art. The door 10 can be hinged in a known manner at the side at a loading opening. The door 10 has an inspection glass 12 and a frame 14. The inspection glass 12 is designed to be essentially pot-shaped and is designed with a flange-shaped edge 16. The frame 14 has a diaphragm ring 18 with a holding ring 20, and a mounting ring 22. The flange-shaped edge 16 of the inspection glass 12 is arranged between the holding ring 20 and the mounting ring 22 such that the inspection glass 12 is clamped in the region of the edge 16 between the diaphragm ring 18 and the mounting ring 22 by way of the holding ring 20.
Furthermore, a gap 24 which essentially extends in a radial direction of the inspection glass 12 is provided between the holding ring 20 and the diaphragm ring 8. A cover 26 can be inserted into the gap 24, as can be seen from FIG. 1. The cover 26 can be made of silicate glass or a plastic, whereby it can be transparent, clear or tinted, or completely opaque. The cover 26 serves primarily as protection for operating persons to prevent access to the inspection glass 12 which can heat up unpleasantly or dangerously during operation of the washer and/or dryer with temperatures in excess of 60° Celsius. The cover 26 is moreover suitable as a decorative object which can be configured according to requirements for example by designers.
FIG. 4 essentially corresponds to the illustration in FIG. 3, whereby the cover 26 is removed. As can be seen from the illustration, the gap 24 is exposed. This means that objects such as for example dirt and dust can accumulate in the gap 24. Since the cover 26 is relatively thin, the gap 24 is accordingly dimensioned to be spatially restricted. Fingers of a human hand can normally not reach or be inserted into the gap 24. The gap 24 is therefore almost inaccessible for cleaning purposes. When the cover 26 is removed, this gap 24 is also unacceptable from an aesthetic perspective because such a gap 24 is generally regarded as visually disturbing by the consumer.
The aforementioned doors cannot be used or are not used without the cover because they would otherwise exhibit a gap or slot between the frame and the inspection glass. Such a gap or slot is unacceptable from an aesthetic perspective. Furthermore dirt, such as dust for example, can accumulate there, which on account of an inadequate access capability can only be removed with difficulty or cannot be removed at all.